Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 24, 1993 TAG: 9304230314
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-12 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
You say that you want a league that goes beyond the mundane, that will keep you awake as you sit in your lawn chair basking in the warm April sunshine as cotton-ball clouds scud by overhead?
You say that you want a league where the fastballs whoosh and the curveballs bend?
You say that you want some eyeball to eyeball competition for a change?
I'm here to say that if you check out the Mountain Empire District this year, you've come to the right place.
There's a lot to be said for the MED this season.
"It's going to be wide open," Shawsville coach Billy Wells said this week.
"I'd say everybody with the possible exception of Bland and Rocky Gap has got a shot," Grayson County coach Ed Goodson said. "And let me tell you something. We played Bland the other day and they surprised me. They're not that bad at all."
"It's not a cliche this year," Floyd County coach Skip Bishop said, "there are five or six teams who are capable of winning this district."
"You certainly can't take anybody for granted," Giles coach Bruce Frazier said.
To honor the survivors who traverse the boody-trapped road to the tournament championship game next month, they might call it "The Night of the Living MED."
In the meantime, it's going to be "A MED, MED, MED World," to continue with the Hollywood digression.
Here's one handicapper's view, with the contenders in order of strength:
\ GILES: The Spartans were crushed, embarrassed, routed - not to mention beat pretty good - by Narrows in a game that didn't count in the district standings earlier this month.
Giles hasn't hit much until recently (it had 21 hits and 18 runs in back-to-back games), but it still has the pitching depth to sustain it through the makeup-game overscheduled death march of May. Along with frontliner Stevie Steele, Giles has left-handers Mitch Reed and Jason Dunn to call on. That could make all the difference.
\ GRAYSON COUNTY: The Blue Devils don't have the pitching that Giles does, and the hitting has been sporadic. Keep in mind, however, that the team's best players may be freshmen. One of them is catcher Chip Pack, who is hitting .300 and has thrown out seven out of 10 base runners. Chad Shaffner is hitting .388 and plays third, first, outfield, and pitches.
"We've been inconsistent because of a lack of practice time," Goodson said. "By the end of the year, we'll be all right."
\ NARROWS: The Green Wave has been getting surprisingly strong contributions from newcomers, but the ones who make the real difference are right-hander Sean Harris, the best pitcher, and Whitey Blankenship, the best everyday player.
Harris is 3-0 with 25 strikeouts in 17 innings and has hit .467 with a pair of homers. Blankenship is batting .625 with 11 RBI and six steals. Guys like that can carry a team.
"I'll tell you the kind of ballclub we have," Green Wave coach Rick Franklin said. "We have the kind of team that can beat Giles 17-3 [which it's done] and lose to Craig County 3-2 [which it's also done]."
\ SHAWSVILLE: Most folk left the Shawnees for the buzzards after they lost eight starters, including two All Region C players, from last year's team. Although it may not look imposing at the plate or on the mound, Shawsville has been very good nevertheless.
Two factors have been big for the Shawnees while winning five games in their first seven starts. The pitching has been outstanding - they already have four shutouts - and so has the defense, particularly the infield of catcher Ben Basham (.500), third baseman Jason Booth (.400, 10 steals), shortstop Mark Akers (no errors), second baseman Brad Dalton and first baseman Gordon Howard (.400, two home runs).
"This is the best defensive team I've had in 10 years here," Shawsville said.
Shawsville has an astounding six errors in seven games. A team that can pitch and defend like that has a lot to commend it.
\ FLOYD COUNTY: Imposed itself into the chase by beating Grayson County. Mike Hylton is having a fabulous year both at the plate (.548, eight RBI, nine steals) and on the mound (3-0, 2.06 ERA). Josh Howery is tearing it up at third with a .393 average and 13 RBI.
The problem for the Buffaloes will be to stretch Hylton without wearing him out.
"Hylton's tough," Grayson County's Goodson said. "He doesn't throw hard, but he sure had us messed up."
\ AUBURN: Auburn is the league's most improved team and may yet have some more surprises to spring. Jeremy West (.400), Jerry Gardner (.407), Gerald Reed (.400), Bradley Hudgins (.391, two HR, eight RBI), Andy Johnson (.650 on base percentage) and Todd Collins (3-1, 3.79 ERA) have been making it happen.
The Eagles are athletic and have some pitching depth. Nobody's counting them out.
\ GALAX and FORT CHISWELL each have players who are in the league's top five, maybe top three. Galax has Jeff Spells and the Fort has B.W. Hill. Each does it all. That probably won't be enough.
You say this is confusing? You are not alone.
"If you can pull all this into focus for me, please do," Narrows coach Rick Franklin said.
Joel Hicks, better known as the Pulaski County football coach, just qualified for, ran in and finished the Boston Marathon - his first there and fifth overall - this week.
His report:
"It was tough, everything they say it is," said Hicks, 51. "I ran it in 3 hours, 59 minutes, which is off the time of 3:24 - my personal best - I ran the last time in Cleveland to qualify. But there are so many people who run Boston. I lost 12 minutes just getting to the starting line. Then, I lost more time on Heartbreak Hill. I also lost time just getting a drink of water with all those people.
"After I lost all that time at the start, I just decided to slow up and have some fun. I didn't want to not finish."
Shorts:
Blacksburg has scored 42 runs in the last three games. Those who are most responsible include third baseman Wayne Caldwell (.500, five home runs, 16 RBI), first baseman James Shealor (.458) and shortstop Brian Davis (.433). . . .
Remember the name Wesley Self. He's the next terrific athlete to come out of Grayson County. He's in the eighth grade now. "He could play for me right now," baseball coach Ed Goodson said. Self is projected to be a 20-plus point per game basketball scorer and the starter as a football quarterback as a sophomore. "He's one of those who doesn't come along that often," Goodson said. "I hate to build up a kid like that who's only in the eighth grade, but he's special."
Ray Cox is a Roanoke Times & World-News sportswriter.
by CNB